Loader



March 8 1932 LANG I 1,848,532

LOADER Filed Jan. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l FE lNggPOR I G. R. LANG March 8, 1932.

LOADER Filed Jan. 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ev w s n Ewan Q u- QM a INVENTOR Mmh s, 1932. G. R. LANG 8 853 LOADER Filed Jan. 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2;! m nu Patented Mar. 8, 1932 PATENT OFF1E GEORGE R. LANG, OF NORTH CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA LOADER Application filed January 11, 1929. Serial No. 331,848.

More particularly my invention is designed for use in mines for loading coal on mine cars, especially in narrow entries and rooms.

One characteristic feature of novelty in my present invention is the provision of new and improved means for prying loose the packed coal and precipitating it onto the conveyer or into the path of the conveyer flights.

Another characteristic feature of novelty in my present invention is the means for ob taining leverage for operation of the prier.

Another characteristic feature of novelty is my new and improved delivery conveyer which receives the coal from the pick-up conveyer and loads it into the cars with a mini; mum space taken up by the delivery conveyer over the car.

Another characteristic feature of novelty lies in the assemblage of parts and mechanisms into an organized loading machine of great flexibility, digging efficiency and power and also of simplicity and durability of structure, which is compact and thus may be used in mines wherein the space between the roof and the top of the cars is so limited that other types of loaders are unsuitable, and which may be used with increased efficiency and economy.

Other novel features of construction, and also of arrangement of parts, will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a broken side elevation of a loader.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1, the frame being omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of'the line 33 in Fig. 5.

4 is a broken plan view of the loader.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of the drive.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail in plan of the cam drive of the delivery conveyer.

Fig. 7 is a plan ofthe prier shown dismounted.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the same taken along the line 8 -8 in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional detail of the delivery conveyer taken along the line 99 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a view in plan showing the rack for the leverage dogs.

Fig. 11 is a sectional View of the same taken 55 along the line l111 in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the rack.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional detail showing one of the cages which maintain the rollers in proper relation to the delivery conveyer chute and the pan.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bed frame of the machine which may be made of structuralsteel and is supported by the four wheels 2 fixed on axles 3. The front portion of the frame is extended laterally or widened beyond the wheels so that the pickup conveyer and the prier may have a maximum width. I

The pick-up conveyer frame l is pivotally Y i mounted on the front of the frame 1 and has its rear end adjustably supported, as by the bracket plates 5 extending up from the rear of the frame and which are overlapped by the bracket plates 6 depending from the rear end of the conveyer frame, said plates being provided with a plurality of holes 7 and adapted to register and receive the bolts 8, thus providing means for supporting the rear end of the discharge conveyer at the proper elevation to suit the roof clearance or the available space between the roof and the top of the mine cars. The lines of holes are slightly arcuate so that registration is assured. The rear end of the conveyer frame may be raised or lowered by jacks or any other convenient means.

The pick-up conveyer is provided with a chain 9 which passes around a front sprocket 10 and a rear sprocket 11, the chain passing over the floor of the conveyer frame and around the central and longitudinally disposed partition beam 12.

The front sprocket 10 is mounted in a frame 13 slidable in a guide 14; mounted in an undercut portion of the lower or outer end of the beam 12 and adjustable by means of a screw bolt 15, thus providing means for adjusting the degree of tautness of the conveyer chain.

The chain is provided with substantially U-shaped clips 16in which the inner, ends of the flight bars 1'? are pivotally held by the bolts 18, thus permitting the flights to swing in a plane at right angles to the path of movement of the chain. The front outer ends of the flights are provided with wedge shaped toes 19 so as to draw forward the coal on the prier and apron plates adjacent to the side plates of the conveyer frame.

The rear conveyer sprocket 11 is fixed on a vertically disposed shaft 20 jonrnaled in the undercut rear end of the partition beani'12 and said shaft is provided with a gear 21 meshing with a pinion 22 on a parallel shaft 23 whose end depends below the conveyer and is provided with a beveled pinion 24.

The pinion 24 meshes with a second beveled pinion 25 fixed on a shaft 26-jou'rnaled in bearings depending from the conveyer frame. Intermechateof its length the shaft 26 1sv provided with a beveled gear 27 meshing with a beveled pinion 28 keyed on the shaft of an electric motor29 carried beneath the conveyer frame.

The front end'of'the shaft 26 has keyed thereon a heveledpinion 3O interposed between and meshing with the twin opposed gear-s31 which are loose on a cross shaft 32,

journaled in ahonsing33 depending from the conveyer frame. f g

The outer faces of the gears 31 are provided with female clutch members 34 and 35 represents male clutch members splined on the shaft 32 so as to move longitudinally on the shaft while rotating therewith.

The clutch members 35 are yoked in paral lelism to the clutch shaft 36 which is longitudinally slifdable in the housing 33 and is provided at one end with a handle 37 so that the clutch may be thrown.

It is evident that either one of the male clutch members may be brought into engagement with the corresponding female member or both clutch members may be disengaged thus rotating the shaft in either direction or allowing it to remain idle.

Fixed on the shaft 32 between the gears 31 is a sprocket 38 which is connectedby a chain,

39 with a sprocket'40-keyed on a shaft 41 journaled in a housing 42 mounted on the.

frame 1. The shaft 41haskeyed thereona gear 43 meshing with gear 44 keyed on a parallel shaft45 whose ends protrude-frmn the housing 42 beyond the sides ofithe framel. V The ends of the'shaft 45 are provided with disks 46 carrying crank pins '47 -which are journaled in bearings inthe rear ends of the I coal face.

legs 48 of the prier.

Said legs are beams beyond the front end of the. conveyer frame and riveted or otherwiserigidly secured to the ends of a'transversely disposed casting 49 whose top surface I inclines forwardly,

extendin forwardl b giving the casting a wedge shaped cross sec= tion.

straight or convexed, as showmand its front edge is serrated, as shown at 51. Thetop surfaces of the shoe 50 and the casting 49 form an upwardly and rearwardlydisposed incline. The shoe andflcasting extend clear across the front end of the conveyer frame and slightly beyond the same to clear the path of the loader. 52 represents" arouate rents are providedwith sp-acedapart hinge sleeves ,53 which are sunk in sockets 54 in the casting 49 andare engaged by the pintle rod 55. extending through the casting and intersecting said seats. The rear-ends of the apron plates rest on the floor of the conveyor in front of the beam 12. v y

Thepivotal mounting of the flights 17 per mit them to ride up over the apron plates as they pass aron'nd'thefront endjof'the beam 12,-

thus sweeping theloosened coal in front'of them. It will be seen that the rotation of the shaft; and the crank pins 4Zfwill cause the prier to oscillate on its heelwith the floor as aful crum, thus prying andloosening the packed coal and causing itl'to drop down onto the apron plates and the lower end of the con veyer. It is obvious that thisfulcrum will shift forwardly and rearwardly with the revolution of the crank pins 47 such shifting movements varying with the resistance offered by the coal; The orbit of the prier is thus ellipsoidal. I

The throw o-r leverage of the prier depends on the'distancefrom its heel to the front edge of'its shoe 50. By increasing the width of the shoe the throw is'increased. V The shaft 45 has loose thereonthe sprocket 56 provided with a clutch jaw, 57. resents a complementary clutch member splined to slide onthe shaft 45 and movable by means of the clutch. lever 59, g

Thus by movingthe lever 59 the sprocket 56 may be caused to rotate with the shaft 45 or may be rendered idle V The sprocket 56is connected by alchain'fi to a sprocket fil on the front axle3. The axle is providedwith a, second sprocket 62 which on the rear axle 3.

is connected bv. a chain 63 with a sprocket 64 Thus by means of the clutch levers 37 and 59,'the loader may be caused to travel along the rails 65 either toward or away from the In operation the-wheels aredriven to advance the loader toward the coal, thus giving. the prior a forward. movement in'addition to its downward and rearward movements due tothe rotation of'the crank pins 47 [Thereapron plates, whose 58 rep- 1 sult is that the oscillating prie'r inches forwardly, thus easily dislodging and bringing down the coal into the reach of the conveyer flights.

It is evident that, due to the rotation of the eccentrically placed crank pins the cutting edge of the prier has a movement in what may be termed an ellipsoidal orbit with the heel of the prier resting on the floor of the mine as the fulcrum. This throw may be enlarged by extending the heel of the prier rearwardly. As the traction wheels are driven to advance the loader this fulcrum tends to be continually advanced.

The resultant movement of the prior has been found to have a very effective prying and dislodging movement on the coal packed in front of the loader.

It will be noted that the thrust of the prier is exerted against the floor of the mine, and I therefore may and in practice do use a much lighter loader structure than that required in the case of the machines whose coal-dislodging implement is pivotally or otherwise mounted on the conveyer or on the machine frame. 7

To provide leverage for the prier I provide a dog and latch mechanism which takes up and holds each advance of the loader and provides the leverage base for the prier.

Thus 66 represents an I-beam laid on its side and longitudinally of the track. The front end of said beam is provided on its under face with a cross cut 67 which hooks over a cross bar 68 attached to the rear ends of a pair of braces 69 whose front ends are attached to the horizontal flange of an angle beam 70 which is positioned under and against the front ends of the rails 65.

71 represents cross blocks welded or otherwise fixed in the top channel of the beam 66 at regular intervals, say with spaces of two inches between them, the blocks being of substantially the same width.

72 and 73 represent a pair of dogs or bars having their upper ends pivotally attached, as by the bolt 74 to the rear end of the frame 1 and having their lower ends cut to form sharp toes which will catch in front of the blocks 71 and prevent rearward movement of the loader. The dogs are of slightly different length so that when the lower end'of one is resting on a block, the lower end is engaged against the front face of an adjacent block. By means of the two dogs I halve the amount of advance between locking operations over what with the same spacing between the blocks I could obtain with but one dog.

It is evident thata rigid base is thus provided for the operation of the prier and each advance which the prier makes is taken up and maintained by means of the dogs. In case the forward movement of the prior is abnormally resisted, the front or the rear wheels will tend to buck up off the rails.

The delivery conveyer, which receives the coal from the pick-up conveyer and loads it into the mine cars, is of the oscillating type and may be adjusted both vertically, to accommodate it to the height of the mine cars and the roof clearance of the mine, and also in a horizontal plane to enable it to load cars which are not alined with the longitudinal axis of the loader.

75 represents a pair of bracket plates attached to the outside surfaces of the pick-up conveyer frame and depending below the same. As a matter of convenient construction the supporting plates 6 are attached to downward extensions of the brackets 75.

7 6 represents a platform whose ends are secured to the parallel legs of an I-beam 77 which is bent in a return curve at its center and whose legs extend forwardly and are riveted or otherwise ri idly attached to the lower ends of the suspension bars 78 whose upper ends are pivotally supported, as by the bolts 79 which extend through the brackets 75 and the sides of the conveyer frame.

The platform is thus pivoted to swing on the horizontal axis provided by the bolts 79.

The platform may be raised or lowered on its axis, as by means of a pair of screw shafts 80, one ateach side of the machine, which are screwed through nut blocks 81 fixed relative to the brackets 7 5 and have their ends impinging against the lower portions of the suspension bars 78. By rotating the screw shafts in the proper direction the delivery conveyer may be swung on a horizontal axis in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in Fig. 1.

VJhen operating the delivery conveyer is preferably disposed horizontally and by means of the adjustment to the bracket plates, 5 and 6 and of the screw shafts the delivery conveyer may be horizontally disposed at the proper level above the mine car or cars which are to be loaded.

The beam 77 is provided at each side with an arcuate slot 82 through which extends bolt 83 extending through bolt hole in the corresponding bracket 75. By tightening the nut on the bolts against the beam 77, the platform may be rigidly locked in its adj usted position.

84 represents an annular open top housing attached to the platform 76 and having telescoped down over its upper end the depend ing collar of an annular bearing plate 85, the parts being riveted or otherwise attached together.

Mating with and supported upon the annular bearing plate 85 is an annular plate 86 which is secured to the underside of the pan 87 of the delivery c-onve yer. An annular plate 88 is secured to the underside of the plate 86 surrounding the perimeter of the plate 85 and an annular keeper plate 89 attached to the plate 88 and overlapping the ly to the chute 90 a rearward-upward and plate 85 from below. Thus the delivery conveyer is pivotallymounted on the platform 76 with the centers of the'plates 85 and 86 as its XiS of movement. The pan 87 is provided with a fiat floor and upwardly flanged sides which converge rearwardly as shown in Fig. l. 7

l fithin the can 87 is housed the conve er.

chute 90 which is oscillated relative to the pan 8?. The chute 90 is provided with converging side walls 91 which lie within the side walls of the pan 87. I

The chute 90 is supported on the-floor of the pan 8'? by means of front and rear roller shafts 92 which work between opposed wedge surfaces 83 on the pan and the chute. The shafts 92 are contained within the keeper cages at and the floor of the pan 8'? is provided with apertures 95 to provide clearance for such cages. The rollers working between the opposed wedges impart alternateforward-downward movement.

1 Thebottom'of the chute 90 isprovided with 9'.. depending post 96 upon which is mounted the antifrictionjroller 97, said post and roller depending through an aperture in s the lioorof the pan 87 within the central aperture of the bearing plates 85 and 86. 3'0

98 represents a vertically disposed shaft journaled in a step bearing 99 mounted Within and concentric with the housing 84.

100 represents an impact cam, preferably of triangular perimetral contour formed by the upper portion of the shaft-98 and held resiliently in contact with the roller 97 as by the helical springs 101 which connect the side walls of the pan and the chute.

A beveled gear 1O2 mounted on the shaft 98 is in mesh with a beveled pinion 103 ,WllOSG'llUb is journaled in a sleeve bearing extending through registering holes in the overlapping walls of the housing 84 and the bearing plate 85.

The hub of thepinion 108 is connected by means of two flexible oints i and an intermediate and extensible shaft 105 with the rear end of t is shaft 26.

As the shaft 26 rotates the cam 100 is also and imparts through its contact with the roller 97 and with th coaction of the springs 101 an oscillating movement of the conveyer chute 90 relative to the pan 87, the movement being a compound of that parallel the and that "at right angles to the toward the car into .whichjthe coal is to be deposited. I

The front end of the floor ofthe chute'is arcuate to extend closely under the rear end of the pick-up conveyer, as indicated by a dotted line in Fig. l, and to maintain its relative position whenthe delivery conveyor is swung to either side, as it may bewhen the car is not directly behind and alined with the loader.

The rear end of the floor of the pick-up conveyer is cut away as indicated in solid linein Fig. l to enable the flights to deposit the coal on the floor of the delivery conveyer.

To lift the flights 17, as they turn into their path. of return movement and thus prevent their carrying back the coal, especially the relatively big lumps, I provide a vertically curved bridgelOil'over which the flights pass, thus swinging them upwardly to clear the coal. I p

A marked advantage of my improved delivery conveyer is its adaptability for use 'in mining coal where the roof is necessarily low or where the space between the top of the mine cars and the roof is very limited.

It will be noted that there isno -underneath return flightwhich requires room but that the delivery conveyor may be lowered to just the space-abovethe top of the car required for proper loading, and there is sufficient clearance under the chute for the car when the loading begins at.;therear end of the latter. H V

' In loading a car the latter is firstrun under the chute so that the coal is first loaded into the rear end of the car and asthe loading proceeds, the eerie from time to time moved 'rearwardly so that the coal is progressively filled into and toward the front end of the car. i

It will be understood that the delivery conveyer may be of any desired length, so that one or more cars may be run under it. and then gradually moved rearwardly or away from the conveyer as the loading is proceeded with.

I provide convenient means for moving the car relative to the loader. Thus 1'07 represents a spool loosely mounted on the shaft 45 and adapted to. be fixed to said shaft by means of the slidable. clutch member. 108 operated by the clutch handle 109.

Wrapped around the 5 0001107 is'acable' 110, one of whose ends extends'for wardly to pass around-a pulley 111 mounted in the front portion of the frame 1 and then return rearwardly and be attached, as at 112, to the front end of a tubular shaft 113. The other end-of the. cable extends rearwardly to pass around a pulley 114 in the rear portion of the frame and thence forwardly to be attached to the tubular shaft 113, as at the point 115.

It. is evident that if the spool 107 be;

clutched to the shaft 45, the rotation of said shaft in onev direction will move the tubular shaft 113 forwardly and a reverse movement of the shaft will move the tubular shaft rearwardly. The tubular shaft is supported for longitudinal slidable movement by 1ts rearward extension through a bearing hole in a bracket 116 mounted on the frame 1 and by means of a supporting rod 117 fixed at 1ts front end to the bracket 118 on the front of the frame and which extends rearwardly and is nested in the tubular shaft.

The rearwardly extending end of the shaft 113 has clamped thereon a bracket plate 119 which is provided with a lateral extension pierced with a vertical hole, so that the coupler link 120 of the car may be laid on said extension and a pin 121 dropped through the coupler and the hole, thus coupling the car to the tubular shaft to be moved by the latter.

In the use of my improved loader the rails are laid up to the face of the coal with just enough intervening space to permit the prier to rest on the floor of the mine at the face.

loader is now run forward until the prier bears against the face. The coal at the face is now shot, causing a portion to drop down onto the apron plates and the lower end of the pick-up conveyer, the remainder of the shot coal remaining more or less tightly packed against the new face.

The clutch is now thrown to start the prier in operation, the same oscillating on its heel and moving backward and forward.

The traction clutch is now thrown, driving the wheels to crowd the loader forwardly and causing the prier to be forced under the packed coal and to pry the same loose so that it will fall forwardly onto the apron plates and the conveyer.

The dogs are now dropped onto the rack, and as the loader moves forwardly the dogs alternately engage the rack blocks, thus preventing the machine from retreating.

With each rearward movement of the crank pins, the loader forges ahead and the dogs take up the advance, so that as the crank pins turn toward the front of the loader the prier is forced further under the coal. In case the advance of the prier is abnormally resisted, the loader will not retreat as the traction wheels will slip on the rails to a'certain degree and in extreme cases the traction wheels may be raised slightly off the track, thus causing a bucking action which will augment the prying movements of the prier.

It is evident that with the traction wheels driven forwardly, the dogs dropped onto the rack and the prier in operation, a continuous advancing and prying action is obtained which will be proceeded with auto ma-ticallyuntil all of the shot coal has been deposited on the pick-up conveyer and carried away.

A single attendant is required and while the machine is in operationhe may be shovelling the loose coal at either side of the machine into the pick-up conveyor or be other wise employed about the entry.

The mine car is run well under the con veyer so that its rear end is first loaded and as the coal is filled into the car, the latter is gradually moved rearwardly until the car is'fil'led, whereupon the-loaded car is taken away and an empty car substituted.

The fulcrum of the priers motion is not on the loader frame or other portion of the machine, but directly on the mine floor, following the irregularities of the surface of the latter. The relief of the loader from the leverage required for the operation of the prier enables me to employ a lighter and less expensive loader structure, the coal not being lifted by the loader or the conveyer frame, but being pried up and caused to topple over onto the conveyer by the action of the prior, the weight of the coal upon the prier being assumed by the mine floor.

What I desire to claim is 1.111 a loader, the combination of a frame arranged for travel, driving means for the frame, a conveyer mounted on said frame, a prier transversely disposed in front of the conveyer and having its fulcrum of movement on the mine floor, and operative connection between the driving means and the prier for oscillating the prier to dislodge the material onto the conveyer.

2. In a loader, the combination of a frame arranged for travel, driving means for the frame, a conveyer mounted on said frame, a prier transversely disposed in front of the conveyer and having its fulcrum of movement on the mine floor, operative connection between the driving means and the prier for oscillating the prier to dislodge the material onto the conveyor, and an apron bridging the space between the prier and the conveyer.

3. In a leader, the combination of a frame, a conveyer mounted on said frame, a prier disposed transversely in front of the conveyer and having its fulcrum of movement on the mine floor independent of the frame and the conveyer, driving means for moving the loader toward the material to be loaded, and operative connection with the driving means for imparting to said prier a movement in an ellipsoidal orbit.

4. In a loader, the combination of a frame, a conveyor mounted on said frame, a prier disposed transversely in front of the conveyer and having its fulcrum of movement on the mine floor independent of the frame and the conveyer, driving 11 eans for moving the loader toward the material to be loaded, operative connection with the driving means for oscillating said prier, and means for preventing the crowding of the Vprier from causing the backward movement of the loader.

s .5. In a loader, the combination of a frame,

a conveyor mounted on said frame, a prier 5 disposed transversely in front of the con-' veyerand having its fulcrum of movement on the mine floor independent of the frame and the conveyer, driving meansfor moving the loader toward the material to be loaded, operative connection with the driving means for oscillating said, prier, and a dog and rack mechanism for preventing rearward move ment of the loader due to the crowding. of

-. the prior. v o r 6. In a loader, the combination of a frame arranged for travel, driving means mounted v thereon, a conveyer mounted on said frame, a prier disposed transversely of the loader and in front of said frame and conveyer and 7 independently thereof and arranged for oscillation in an orbital path rel-ative'ito the frame andthe conveyer, legs eXtendingrea-rwardly from said prier, a crank shaft'joun' i naled in 7 said frame and operatively ;connected to said driving means, and cranks on said shaft coupled to said legs whereby said; prier may be oscillated in an ellipsoidal orbit.

7. In aloader, the combination of a frame arranged for-travel, driving means mounted on said frame, a prier disposed transversely of the loader and in front of said frame and conveyer and independently there'of'and, arranged for oscillation in an orbital path relative to the frame and the oonveyer, legs hav- 1 ingtheir forward ends fixed to the ends of the prier and "extending rearwardly at either side-of theconveyer, a shaft journaled in said frame and operatively connected to said driving means, and cranks on said shaft connected' to said legs whereby said priermay be oscillated in an. ellipsoidal orbit.

Signed at Charleroi, Penna, this 9th day of January, 1929; i I

V GEORGE R. LANG. 

